Boston Dynamics made a giraffe robot that can be sent for a beer in the fridge

The company Boston Dynamics, which is now owned by Alphabet Holding, is developing a variety of autonomous robots. Today, Boston Dynamics has introduced another new product - the SpotMini giraffe robot. This is a smaller version of the robot dog Spot , equipped with a long “neck”. According to the developers, this is the quietest robot of the entire model range of systems developed by the company.

In fact, this is not a neck, but a robot manipulator, which allows it to perform a number of complex operations. Difficult for the robot and burdensome for humans. For example, SpotMini can take dirty dishes from the countertop (or kitchen sink) and put it in the dishwasher. Description of the robot and the video - in the sequel.


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A robot can be played, as dogs usually do. The system is equipped with several sensors and sensors, including a depth camera, a gyroscope, and proprioception sensors (in this case, the sensor of contact with objects). The manipulator-neck is also equipped with a gyroscope, thanks to which the robot can keep the “head” at the same level, regardless of body movements. This behavior is typical for birds, including chickens. If the body of the chicken is held in hands, moving in different directions, the head will be held at one point. "Eyes" set to ensure that the robot looked friendly.

And this robot is not afraid of falls. Stepping on a banana peel and feeling the inevitable fall of the robot is grouped. After that, the fall passes without problems. As you can see, the usual falls in the style of Boston Dynamics has not done, although the robot does not kick.

What happens if SpotMini falls on a concrete floor? Probably the same thing - the damage, if any, is minimal. A pair of scratches on the case, no more. After a fall, the robot can stand up (it takes only a few seconds). SpotMini can even go up the stairs, for it is not a problem at all.

The older brother of this robot, Spot, can also climb the stairs and run along the street in a trot. Hill? Also not a problem - the system can even go down and climb a steep slope. Both models are purely electric: servo drives only, no hydraulics. The system works offline for about one and a half hours. After that, you need to recharge the batteries.

Most of the tasks require human involvement, but the robot can do the simplest things by itself.

The mass of the robot is 25 kilograms, 30 - with a manipulator. In the Spot robot, the mass reached 70 kg.

Alphabet wants to sell Boston Dymamics because of the undesirability of such an asset in the holding structure. One of the likely buyers is Toyota. The last straw in the sale of the company was the video of Boston Dynamics, where a man pokes a stick of an Atlas robot .

Initially, Boston Dynamics aimed to develop a robot that the military can use (carry ammunition, for example). Google did not interfere with the work of the company's employees on current contracts with DARPA. But the corporation wanted to get the release of robots for the consumer market from Boston Dynamics. Perhaps SpotMini is just "home".